Award Winners

Nicholas Appert Award

PURPOSE: To honor an IFT member or nonmember for preeminence in and contributions to the field of food technology.

$5,000 honorarium from IFT and a bronze medal from the Chicago Section of IFT

Daryl Lund, Emeritus Professor, University of Wisconsin, Madison

Babcock-Hart Award

PURPOSE: To honor an IFT member who has attained distinction by contributions to food technology which have resulted in improved public health through nutrition or more nutritious food.

$3,000 honorarium from the International Life Sciences Institute North America and a plaque from IFT

Stephen Taylor, Professor, University of Nebraska, Lincoln

Stephen S. Chang Award for Lipid or Flavor Science

PURPOSE: To honor an IFT-member food scientist or technologist who has made significant contributions to lipid or flavor science.

$3,000 honorarium and a Steuben crystal sculpture from the Stephen S. Chang Endowment Trust Fund supported by the Taiwan Food Industries

Pamela White, University Professor of Food Science and Human Nutrition, and Dean of the College of Human Sciences, Iowa State University

William V. Cruess Award

PURPOSE: To honor an IFT member who has achieved excellence in teaching food science and technology.

$3,000 honorarium from IFT and a bronze medal from the Northern California Section of IFT

Mukund Karwe, Professor, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey

Carl R. Fellers Award

PURPOSE: To honor a member of IFT and Phi Tau Sigma who has brought honor and recognition to the profession of food science and technology through a distinguished career in that profession displaying exemplary leadership, service and communication skills that enhance the effectiveness of all food scientists in serving society.

$3,000 honorarium from Phi Tau Sigma and a plaque from IFT

Kathryn L. Kotula, Senior Investigative Food Scientist, Investigative Food Sciences

Food Technology Industrial Achievement Award

PURPOSE: To honor a company or organization for an outstanding development which represents a significant advance in the application of food science and technology to food production. The process or product must have been successfully applied in actual commercial operation at least six months but no more than seven years before December 1 of the year in which the nomination is submitted.

A plaque from IFT

North Carolina State University, USDA–ARS South Atlantic Area Food Science Research Unit, Industrial Microwave Systems, L.L.C.

Industrial Scientist Award

PURPOSE: To honor an IFT-member industrial scientist or team of industrial scientist(s) who have made a major technical contribution to the advancement of the food industry.

$3,000 honorarium and a plaque from IFT

Kyungsoo Woo, Principal Scientist, MGP Ingredients Inc.

Bor S. Luh International Award

PURPOSE: To honor an IFT member or an institution whose outstanding efforts resulted in one or more of the following: (1) international exchange of ideas in the field of food technology; (2) better international understanding in the field of food technology; and/or (3) practical successful transfer of food technology to an economically depressed area in a developing or developed nation.

$3,000 honorarium and a plaque from the Bor S. Luh Endowment Fund of the IFT Foundation

Anna V.A. Resurreccion, Professor, University of Georgia

Bernard L. Oser Food Ingredients Safety Award

PURPOSE: To honor an IFT member for his or her contribution to the scientific knowledge of food ingredient safety or leadership in establishing principles for food ingredient safety evaluation or regulation.

$3,000 honorarium and a plaque from the Bernard L. Oser Endowment Fund of the IFT Foundation

Bill Helferich, Professor, University of Illinois

Samuel Cate Prescott

PURPOSE: To honor an IFT member who has shown outstanding ability in research in some area of food science and technology.

$3,000 honorarium and a plaque from IFT

Manuel Castillo, Assistant Research Professor, University of Kentucky

Research and Development Award

PURPOSE: To honor an IFT member or team of members who have made a recent, significant research and development contribution to the understanding of food science, food technology, or nutrition.

$3,000 honorarium and a plaque from IFT

Arun Bhunia, Professor of Food Microbiology, Purdue University

Myron Solberg Award

PURPOSE: To honor an IFT member for providing leadership in the establishment and successful development and continuation of industry/government/academia cooperative organization.

$3,000 honorarium and a plaque from the Myron Solberg Endowment Fund of the IFT Foundation

George Flick, University Distinguished Professor, Virginia Tech

Elizabeth Fleming Stier Award

PURPOSE: To honor an IFT member for pursuit of humanitarian ideals and unselfish dedication that have resulted in significant contributions to the well-being of the food industry, academia, students, or the general public.

$3,000 honorarium from the New York Section of IFT and a plaque from IFT

Rakesh Singh, Professor and Head of the Department of Food Science, University of Georgia,

Calvert L. Willey Distinguished Service Award

PURPOSE: To honor an individual who has provided continuing, meritorious and imaginative service to IFT. The award was first presented to Calvert L. Willey, then Executive Director of IFT, in 1987 and initiated on the 50th Anniversary of IFT in 1989.

$3,000 honorarium and a plaque from IFT

Mary Wagner

Arun Bhunia, Professor of Food Microbiology, Purdue University, received the 2009 IFT Research and Development Award for contributions to food technology that result in improved public health through nutrition or more nutritious food.

Bhunia’s research has focused on early detection of foodborne pathogens to reduce the risk of foodborne illness outbreaks. Bhunia and his laboratory group have developed several biosensor tools for on-site testing of food products for food safety and food defense applications.Bhunia and two colleagues also created a laser light-scattering instrument for detection and identification of bacterial colonies in food.

In recognition of his research achievements, Bhunia was awarded Purdue’s Agricultural Research Award in 2003 and the Purdue Agriculture Team Award in 2006.

Mukund Karwe, Professor, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, received the 2009 William V. Cruess Award for excellence in teaching food science and technology.

Karwe’s teaching skills have enabled him to develop novel collaborations between Rutgers University and local community colleges to further the study of food science. He helped establish an associate’s degree in food science at Gloucester County College, developed a joint Culinology program with Mercer County Community College, and helped develop a Culinology/Food Science curriculum at Bergen Tech High School in North Jersey.

Karwe conducts food science workshops for high school science teachers, as well as student demonstrations and field trips, which have helped to double the number of undergraduates enrolled in Rutgers’ food science program.

Kathryn L. Kotula, Senior Investigative Food Scientist, Investigative Food Sciences, received the 2009 Carl R. Fellers Award for service to the field of food science and technology and for bringing honor to the profession.

Kotula has created her own consultancy, Investigative Food Sciences, through which she advises companies involved in litigation and arbitration cases centered on foodborne illness outbreaks and product spoilage.  Her science-based investigations and advice have provided an extremely valuable service to food producers and processors, and have allowed them to successfully defend lawsuits against them, and protect their reputations. She also serves as a processing authority in matters of regulatory compliance and processing innovations.

Kotula has presented science-based food safety and handling concepts to consumers nationwide, and in Canada, through numerous TV and radio appearances, and in popular print. Elementary and middle school students, adults and senior citizens, have benefited from Kotula’s knowledge through her pro bono community outreach program, in which she gives presentations on basic food safety, microbiology, and food science.

Anna V.A. Resurreccion, Professor, University of Georgia, is the recipient of the 2009 Bor S. Luh International Award for successful transfer of peanut processing technologies in Southeast Asia.
Resurreccion led a team of professionals from academia, government, and industry in developing a process to eliminate a potent carcinogen, aflatoxin, from peanut products. This technology was implemented in the Philippines, as well as in Thailand, through the Peanut Industry Incubator Model created by Resurreccion, for commercialization of food products and processes in developing countries, globally.  

Using this Peanut Industry Incubator Model, Resurreccion created partnerships between research institutions and private industry to develop and commercialize products such as vitamin A-fortified peanut butter to address severe vitamin A deficiencies in people living in the Philippines.

Rakesh Singh, Professor and Head of the Department of Food Science, University of Georgia, received the 2009 Elizabeth Fleming Stier Award for pursuit of humanitarian ideals and dedication resulting in contributions to the well-being of the food industry, academia, students, or the general public.

Singh's innovative research ideas, leadership and expertise in food processing have benefitted students, the food industry, and the worldwide scientific community. His research has elucidated the role of reaction kinetics in predicting the quality of processed foods, which has aided in the development of several aseptically processed products, including banana puree, orange juice, and soymilk.

Singh also used novel techniques to separate and utilize components, either from food processing byproduct streams or surplus food supply. His contributions in this area had a significant impact on design of processes for reduction of environmental pollution potential and production of value-added products or ingredients from food processing byproducts.

Daryl Lund, Emeritus Professor, University of Wisconsin, Madison, received the 2009 Nicholas Appert Award, which recognizes an individual for preeminence in and contributions to the field of food science and technology.

Beginning in the 1970s, Lund’s research has focused on three key areas of food science: fouling of food contact surfaces, reaction kinetics in foods, and microwave-assisted food processing. His team's research on fouling of food surfaces highlighted the importance of the issue for food processors and resulted in the establishment of the International Conference on Fouling and Cleaning in Food Processing, which later became a part of the International Conference on Engineering and Food.

Lund has demonstrated stellar leadership in a variety of roles, serving as Department Chair for the Departments of Food Science at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Rutgers, Dean of the Colleges of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Rutgers and Cornell, Executive Director of the North Central Regional Association of State Agriculture Experiment Stations Directors, President of IFT (1990–91), and President-elect of the International Academy of Food Science and Technology (2008-2010).

Manuel Castillo, Assistant Research Professor, University of Kentucky, received the 2009 Samuel Cate Prescott Award for outstanding ability in food science research. The recipient of this award must be less than 36 years of age or have received his or her highest degree within the previous 10 years.

Castillo’s knowledge and understanding of milk coagulation as well as his expertise in the development of novel sensors and measuring devices has helped food industries to improve process control, production efficiency, and quality control.

Additionally, Castillo has made contributions to milk/cheese processing and engineering including an optical sensor technology that predicts curd moisture content during syneresis. He developed a lab-scale milk coagulation tester that is able to accurately measure total milk-clotting activity of rennet following the International Dairy Federation standards and procedures.

Mary Wagner, General Manager and Chief Technology Officer, Mars Symbioscience , received the 2009 Calvert L. Willey Distinguished Service Award for meritorious and imaginative service to IFT.  Wagner has served as IFT President (1997–98) and Treasurer, as well as serving multiple terms on the Board of Directors and IFT Foundation Board. She has also brought strong leadership to numerous IFT Committees, Task Forces, and Section and Division appointments.

Wagner’s innovative service to IFT includes her focus on K–12 educational programs to enhance IFT’s education of future food scientists, and her efforts to involve CEOs and CROs with IFT, which has led to the formation of the Senior Food Officials Group and Events. Wagner also participated in implementing a Food Safety Initiative under which the Food and Drug Administration contracted with IFT to provide expertise on key food safety issues.

Stephen Taylor, Professor, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, received the 2009 Babcock-Hart Award for his research on food allergy, allergy identification, and efforts to identify thresholds of elicitation. Through industry outreach and consumer education, Taylor has acted as a liaison between the food industry and allergic consumers to help minimize the risk of allergic reactions.

Taylor was also instrumental in creating key tools for education, information sharing, and analytical testing in the field of food allergy. He founded the Food Allergy Research and Resource Program in 1995 – a key industry partnership with more than 50 member companies.  He led the development of immunoassay methods for the detection of food allergen residues, and participated in the creation of the AllergenOnline database to increase information sharing and promote food allergy research and risk assessment.  

Bill Helferich, Professor, University of Illinois, received the 2009 Bernard L. Oser Food Ingredient Safety Award for his research contributions on the safety of soy ingredients containing estrogenic isoflavones and their metabolites.

The results from Helferich’s research are providing critical information on the safety and efficacy of widely used bioactive components from soy and soy ingredients. This allows nutritionists and scientists working in the food industry and regulatory agencies to make appropriate decisions on the use of these ingredients in human foods.

Helferich is currently working with governmental food regulators to formulate appropriate warnings regarding the safety of enriched soy ingredients used in foods and dietary supplements for at-risk populations.

North Carolina State University, USDA-ARS South Atlantic Area Food Science Research Unit, and Industrial Microwave Systems, L.L.C. received the 2009 Food Technology Industrial Achievement Award for their development of a process for continuous flow microwave sterilization of low-acid foods and biomaterials. This collaboration of university, government, and industry researchers resulted in an innovative processing technique to address the shortcomings of conventional methods of food preservation for low-acid, shelf-stable foods.

Through the use of continuous-flow microwave sterilization, processors are able to provide high throughput of aseptically processed shelf-stable low-acid foods. These foods have minimal loss in quality and nutritional value as compared to that by conventional thermal processing methods.

The first commercial process to adopt this innovative technology involved aseptic processing and packaging of sweetpotato puree and the process filing received a letter of no-objection from the FDA. Development work has also been completed at the university to enable the preservation of berry purees, low-acid vegetable purees, and multiphase products such as soups and sauces.

Kyungsoo Woo, Principal Scientist, MGP Ingredients Inc., received the 2009 IFT Industrial Scientist Award for contributions to the advancement of the food industry.

Woo’s research with phosphorylated cross-linked resistant starch showed that phosphorylated cross-linked RS4 is a highly concentrated form of dietary fiber that can be produced from any starch, including wheat, normal corn, high-amylose corn, potato, tapioca, oat, and banana. This discovery allowed commercialization of phosphorylated cross-linked resistant starch from wheat, tapioca, and potato starch.

Woo is currently working on the development of cross-linked resistant starch from other botanical sources. Applications for cross-linked resistant wheat starch include white breads, nutrition bars, cookies, muffins, waffles, buns, bagels, pastas, noodles, biscuits, snack foods, tortillas, brownies, pizza dough, pretzels, breakfast cereals, crackers, ice cream, and drinks.

Shelly J. Schmidt, Professor of Food Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, received the 2008 Marcel Loncin Research Prize, which provides research funding to a scientist or engineer conducting basic chemistry, physics, or engineering research applied to food processing and the improvement of food quality.

Schmidt’s research involves the applications of best moisture management practices to food processes and products to optimize physical, chemical, and microbiological stability and quality. She is developing multi-technique and multi-level approaches to solving applied food safety and food quality problems.

With the funding provided by the prize, Schmidt will study the relationship between the glassy-to-rubbery transition in amorphous food materials using water vapor sorption-based experiments and compare the resultant findings to the glass transition temperature obtained via differential scanning calorimetry.

George Flick, University Distinguished Professor, Virginia Tech, received the 2009 Myron
Solberg Award for providing leadership in the establishment and successful development and
continuation of industry/government/academia cooperative organization.

Flick's research on seafood pasteurization resulted in the development of an internationally utilized process that produces a safe and wholesome product that lasts several years when properly stored. The procedure has been accepted by the Food and Drug Administration, state and foreign regulatory agencies, and the National Fisheries Institute Inc.

Flick has established comprehensive educational programs for industry, academia, and
regulators to improve the safety and quality of food products, pharmaceuticals, blood products, and medical devices. His programs have served thousands of individuals through conferences, educational videos, manuals, fact sheets, four books, 30 book chapters, and numerous refereed and non-refereed articles.

Pamela White, University Professor of Food Science and Human Nutrition, and Dean of the College of Human Sciences, Iowa State University, is the recipient of the 2009 Stephen S. Chang Award for Lipid or Flavor Science for significant contributions to lipid or flavor science.

White’s work links basic and applied multidisciplinary research and has a fundamental impact on agriculture and food systems, especially as they relate to lipid oxidation and oil quality. The applied impact of her research has aided in developing agricultural crops with added food, nutritional, and economic value. Currently, she works with plant breeders and geneticists to create corn and soybeans to implement and evaluate plant-based manipulation of oil composition.

White has collaborated on laboratory projects with companies such as Asoyia and MG Edible Oil Consulting International to test oils with altered fatty acid composition in a variety of food applications. These projects include sensory and chemical evaluation of ultra-low and low-linolenic acid soybean oils for salad oils and evaluation of high-oleic and low-linolenic acid soybean oils for food products such as fried chicken and French fries.